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Audi S6 Sedan & S7 Sportback: Drive review

April 26, 2012

The Audi's new S6 at home in the German countryside.

What is it?

In between Audi's already fun performance sedans and the rip-snorting RS models is a niche that harbors what might be the perfect mix of both, the S line. The S4 and S5 the are on the market now, and this fall, these two luxo howlers arrive: the S6 and S7. (The S8 should arrive at the same time, with the same powertrain, but we won't get into the S8 until later this summer.)

Based on the popular A6sedan and A7 sportback/fastback/notchback, the two models get stiffer air-spring suspensions, mechanically actuating sport differentials with torque vectoring, seven-speed transmissions, a twin-turbo version of the 4.0-liter V8 and a host of trim items to set it apart from and above the A-level base models.

Power goes up from 310 hp in the V6-powered A6 to 420 hp in the V8-powered S6 and S7 versions. Torque grows from 325 lb-ft to 406 lb-ft. The steel body with aluminum hood, fenders and doors is unchanged but the engine, wheels and differential combine to bump the curb weight from 4,045 pounds in the A6 sedan to 4,398 pounds in the S6 version. The S7 weighs in at 4,508 pounds, about 300 more than the 4,210-pound A7.

While we won't get the gas-saving start/stop technology because our federal government still doesn't recognize it as a benefit, these models will feature in Europe. We will get the “cylinder on demand” feature that cuts four of the engine's eight cylinders when the cars are cruising at highway speeds.

What is it like to drive?

One of the first things you notice about the S versions of these two cars is the effort Audi engineers made to reduce the NVH that gets into the cabin. Active engine mounts, noise-canceling acoustics and the usual slathering of passive sound-deadening features throughout keep the ride quiet and refined, despite the potent performance potential. Push the start button, pull the shift lever back, and launch away. The S6 is supposed to hit 60 mph in 4.5 seconds with launch control, but Audi execs hint that without it, you could get to 4.1 seconds. The car felt pretty quick off the line, so we'll see later this summer when we get a U.S.-spec version. Add a tenth of a second to that for the S7, which, at 4,508 pounds, is 110 pounds heavier than the 4,398-pound S6.

The seven-speed dual-clutch S-tronic automatic shared with the S4 and the S5 has three modes: drive, sport and manual. Paddle shifters on the steering wheel allow for quick rev-matching changes without taking a hand from the wheel. Audi describes it as “lightning quick,” and we'd say the company is about right. It is smooth and seamless on the upshifts. Downshifts come so easily that you almost don't notice them, the rev-matching means that there's no deceleration bump, and the noise canceling means that you have to strain to hear the engine sound. Only the tach and the “Driver Information Center” show you that something's happening. A few times, while paddle-downshifting at a near stop, there was an unexpected clunk from the tranny, likely because of the nature of dual-clutch transmissions, i.e. no torque converter to smooth things out. We got a clunk flooring it on the autobahn, too--not bad but unexpected in a car that was otherwise so quiet.

On the autobahn it was pure fun, hammering the throttle until we ran out of room. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph, though we saw only about 125 mph on a couple of short stretches of highway before traffic got in the way. The cars felt safe and solid at those speeds.

We in the United States will not get the carbon-ceramic brakes they'll get in Europe, but the 15.8-inch carbon-ceramic front brakes and 14-inch steel rear brakes slowed the car with no drama. The A6 and the A7 get 14-inch fronts and 13-inch rears.

On some twisting country roads outside Munich the car felt composed going into and out of corners. There is no active antiroll system in place, but the air suspension does stiffen or soften depending on where you set it. We didn't get onto a racetrack, and this isn't really a track car. It's too heavy for that. But as an all-around useful family sedan that can be driven with glee when the opportunities arise, it is a great success. Audi says these are not meant to be all-out performance cars; that banner is carried by the RS line. So will there be an RS version of these two? Audi says, “RS models are being investigated,” which is good enough for us.

The last S6, discontinued in 2008, was powered by a mighty 435-hp, 393-lb-ft Lamborghini V10. That car weighed 88 pounds more and got to 60 mph a second later, at 5.1 seconds. These cars get 25 percent better fuel economy, Audi points out, claiming that the pair represent a new, more efficient way of doing business without compromising performance.

Do I want it?

Audi says competitors are the BMW 550ix and the Mercedes-Benz E550 4Matic, both of which are very close in specs. Sales of the new S6/S7 make up 10 percent to 15 percent of the existing A6 and A7 lines, which should work out to between 1,500 and 2,000 for the S6 and 1,000 to 1,500 for the S7.

Should you buy one of these over the Mercedes or BMW competitors? Audi claims that it has the sportiest entry, but you will have to test drive all three and decide for yourself. That's not a bad assignment. Pricing will be announced closer to the cars' fall on-sale date, but expect the S6 to start in the low $70,000s and the S7 to start at less than $80,000.

Mark Vaughn
- After slumming in Europe five years covering F1 etc. Mark Vaughn interviewed with Autoweek at the 1989 Frankfurt motor show has been with us ever since because no one else will take him. Anyone?
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